Reading Eagle: Bill Uhrich | Richard Carpenter, who made a donation of $5,000 to the New Journey Community Outreach Inc. food pantry in Reading after reading about the pantry's plight, tours the kitchen there Thursday with Ann Wallace, left, New Journey food program coordinator, and Susan Krall, New Journey executive director.

Owner of Ontelaunee Township business donates $5,000 to food pantry in Reading

While growing up in south Reading, Richard L. Carpenter would often visit the pantry in the United Methodist Church at 136 S. Sixth St. with his family.

Sometimes, he'd walk with his grandmother for lunch at the soup kitchen in the same building.So when Carpenter learned the pantry's shelves had run bare after the staff handed out the last of its grocery staples to needy families on Wednesday, he felt a compelling need to pay it forward, as they say.About 10 p.m. Wednesday, Carpenter, 37, had finally settled down in his Shoemakersville home to catch up on the world.He read online a Reading Eagle story about folks standing in line to get to the weekly distribution at the nonprofit New Journey Community Outreach Inc. pantry after walking several blocks on snowy and icy sidewalks and pavements.The story described those who made the trek as grateful to receive a fraction of the groceries that they would typically get, since delivery from the Greater Berks Food Bank was delayed by the winter storm that dumped over 2 feet of snow in Reading.Carpenter said he was surprised, but happy, to learn the pantry, which was formerly operated by New Journey United Methodist Church and its predecessor, Central Park United Methodist Church, was still serving those in need.The New Journey congregation vacated the building after its recent merger with West Lawn United Methodist Church in Spring Township.Carpenter said he worked hard to escape poverty and is in a position to help lift up those in need like his mother, who raised him by herself.In a true rags-to-riches story, he worked as a meat cutter at a city market as a young man and then went to work for large businesses constructing industrial mechanical systems. About nine years ago, he started his own company, Axcess, which now has more has 60 employees and specializes in industrial construction, in Ontelaunee Township.Carpenter said he tried unsuccessfully to contact the New Journey on Wednesday night to find out how he could help. His initial plan was to take a group of his employees grocery shopping and then deliver the non-perishables to the pantry.He advised employees Wednesday night to be prepared to take part in a relief mission.Carpenter reached Susan Krall, New Journey executive director, about 8 a.m. Thursday on her cellphone. She told him that to make an even bigger impact, his money would go farther than a direct donation of goods.That's because the New Journey, as a partner with Greater Berks Food Bank, can buy food much more cheaply if it uses its own funds for its orders.Carpenter said he would donate $5,000.With a skeletal staff and an annual operating budget of $145,000 to provide groceries to 70 families weekly, as well as to operate the soup kitchen, that pledge came as an answered prayer to Krall and Ann Wallace, New Journey food program coordinator."I said, "That's wonderful,' " Krall said Thursday just before Carpenter arrived to deliver his check. "I was overwhelmed. I still can't believe it."The staff led Carpenter on a tour of the pantry kitchen, where volunteers were preparing desserts for the day's soup kitchen."The Good Lord looks out for us, doesn't he?" said longtime volunteer Jane Moyer of Wyomissing, her eyes welling with tear of joy.Contact Steven Henshaw: 610-371-5028 or shenshaw@readingeagle.com.

Steven Henshaw | Reporter

Reporter Steven Henshaw covers the police and crime beat for the Reading Eagle.